Xerographic powder-image transfer squeegee



Sept. 24, 195 F. w. HUDSON XEROGRAPHIC POWDER-IMAGE TRANSFER SQUEEGEEFiled Jan. 21, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR. FREDERICK W. HUDSONATTORNEY Sept. 24, 1957 F. w. HUDSON 2,807,232

XEROGRAPHIC POWDER-IMAGE TRANSFER SQUEEGEE Filed Jan. 21, 1954 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FREDERICK w. HUDSON ATTORNEY U i edlswefi,

523 12 232 r XEROGRAPHIC POWDER-IMAGEVTRANSFER SQUEEGEE W FrederickHudsonj west Heniietta, assignor to The Haloid Company, Rochester, N.Y., -a corporation ofNewY'ork" v 7 Application January 21, D54, SerialNo405,392

1 cla m; {(Cl. 11 8 500) fer sheet during the charging operat iprl,.incomplete vtr n fenandla poor'c'opy may result. Su'ch incompletetransferIWilLoccurwith paper transfershee'ts" and is particularly true,where the powder-imageds transferred to a 'MultilithlZt mat dueto'hi'gh humidity conditions andlwhen a; ,change in humidity causes themat to curl or buckle, and it isfa particularpurpose "ofthfeinventiomtoinsure proper uniform contact between the 'xerographioplateand mat atathe'point" or"areai 'v vjher the electrostatic chargeisapplied to effect transfer of'theimage.

The invention is especially applicable to xerographic copiers of thegeneral type in which a mat or transfer sheet positioned on apowder-image and xerographic plate are moved into a developer chamberunder a charging unit that extends across the transfer sheet, and it isa further purpose of the invention to afford an implement that can beeasily manipulated by the operator and is effective to hold a transfersheet in uniformly close contact with the xerographic plate duringtransfer and at the line where the electrostatic charge is imposed, sothat as the xerographic plate and transfer sheet are moved into thecabinet beneath the charging unit, they are always held in propercontact at the exact point or along the exact line of transfer ratherthan in advance of or behind such line, thus resulting in efiective andcomplete transfer of the powder-image from the xerographic plate ontothe transfer sheet.

Another object of the invention is to afford an implement which whenheld in operative position automatically engages the switch controllingthe electrostatic charging unit and at the same time positions theimplement with relation to the front wall of the development cabinet,while the sheet-engaging portion of the implement extends into thecabinet and contacts the transfer sheet along the line of transfer wherethe charge is imposed on the transfer sheet.

An additional purpose is to provide a simple device that can be easilymanipulated, which is economical to manufacture, and can be producedfrom sheet plastic which insures proper flexibility of thesheet-engaging portion so as to afford suflicient pressure withoutexcessive pressure.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction andarrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the followingdescription when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, thenovel features being pointed out in the 'cl'a in'r following thespecification. i H

In the drawings: n x '-Fig. 1 is a perspectivefvi'ew' embodiment of theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the implement in operative positionin relation to "a transfer-sheet and xerographic plate, immediatelypriorltorinserting them into the development chamber of a copierapparatus, and

Fig. 3 is a vertical'sectional view taken centrally through the partsshown in Fig. 2, fil1ustra'ting the position when the transfer sheet andxerograpliic' plate havebeen partially inserted into thedeve iitchamber;

Referring more'particiil'ar y to thed'rawings, which are intended merelyas illustrative o ffone practical form of showing one practical thedevice, 1 designates "aibtsdy onioh preferably of stiff plastic materialand of generally rectangular form having alength correspondingto"'t"v hofithetrar isfer'sheet and xerographic plate'jwh h fdfe'signatesaforwardly projecting sheet-engaging p0 ion with a straight front edgeand preferably of plastic material, somewhat thinner and more flexiblejtharijthe body portion 1, so that when its front'straight edge isengaged-with the transfer sheet andpro'per pjressureappliedbythejoperator to the body portion 1,"the fror rt e'dgeoftheTsheet-eiigaging portion Zacts to'press the'trans'fer sheetlightlyand evenly against the xerographie plate and the powdenimage' thereom v;

I The flexible sheet-engaging p 2, iiithe structure shown,' overlapsandfisjs'uitab aehedf'to the front area of the body portionl by si utableadhesive orfotherwise, although'it will be 'un'deris the plasticportions 1 and 2 may be integrally of otherwise formed and' the entirestructure may constructed of materials other han P t c ,1

i In using the implement, t e operator lnserts and holds it inapproximately the position shown in Fig. 3 in which the front edge ofthe transfer sheet-engaging portion 2 is located against the transfersheet 3 and beneath the electrostatic charging unit 4, the front edge ofthe sheetengaging portion 2 extending along a line across the transfersheet where transfer takes place at any given instant as the parts aremoved along under the charging unit, and in proximity to the area onwhich the electrostatic charge is imposed at any given instant.

It is desirable to position the paper-engaging edge of the squeegeeautomatically and accurately in relation to the charging unit and tooperate the switch which controls the charging unit by the insertion ofthe squeegee, and these functions are accomplished in the followingmanner.

5 designates the push-button switch located on the front wall 6 of thedevelopment cabinet of the copier and in order to effect operation ofswitch 5, there is provided an upstanding plate or flange 7 preferablyof the general form illustrated in Fig. 1 and having its lower edgecemented or otherwise fixedly attached to the body portion 1 whileflange 7 extends forwardly from the body portion 1 above thesheet-engaging portion 2 and spaced therefrom, terminating in a verticaledge to which is attached the right-angled plate 8 or stop which engagesswitch 5 and closes the electrostatic unit circuit when the squeegee isinserted into operative position, as shown in Fig. 2.

Thus the plate or stop 8 limits the inward movement of thesheet-engaging portion 2 at one end while the position of the oppositeend of the sheet-engaging portion 2 is determined by a plate or flange9, the lower edge of which is fixedly attached to the body portion 1,the flange 9 extending thence forwardly above and in spaced relation tothe sheet-engaging portion 2 while the front edge of wall 9, asindicated at 10, constitutes a vertical 3 surface or stop which engagesthe front wall 6 of the copier cabinet, and together a with theaforementioned stop 8 limits inward movement of the sheet-engagingportion 2 as the device is inserted into the cabinet with the straightfront edge of portion 2 engaged'with -the transfer sheet, as shown inFig. 3. p

In order to enable the operator readily to grasp the implement and holdit in operative position, there is provided a finger-piece 11 rigidlyattached to the underside of the body portion 1 in proximity to its rearedge and extending downwardly therefrom, preferably in the form of aplastic lug which is adhesively secured to the body portion 1. Thus whenthe device is resting on a surface, the finger-piece 11 elevates therear edge of the body portion, enabling the operator to grasp the sameeasily and by holding the rear edge and finger-piece 11, the device canreadily be inserted in the position shown in Fig. 2 with the front edgeof the portion 2 in contact with the transfer sheet along the line wheretransfer takes place.

The operator inserts the squeegee to the position illustrated in Fig, 2,operating the switch which closes the circuit to the electrostaticcharging unit 4, and by holding the body portion 1 firmly and pressingit toward the copier cabinet and at the same time imposing a slightdownward pressure, the transfer sheet-engaging portion 2 is flexedslightly and its forward edge held in close and uniform contact with thetransfer sheet while the xerographic plate and transfer sheet are movedinto the cabinet.

While the invention has been described with reference to the particularconstruction shown herein, it is not confined to the detailsillustrated, and this application is intended to cover suchmodifications or departures as may come within the purposes of theimprovement or the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

A powder-image transfer squeegee for use in combination with axerographic copier including a copier cabinet having a slot in its frontsurface into which a plate carrying a powder image and a transfer sheetmay be inserted and removed and having a depressable button on its outerfront surface to operate means to cause transfer of a powder image froma plate member inserted in the slot to transfer material on the powderimage, said improved squeegee comprising a stifi flexible plastic bodyportion, a stiff flexible plastic sheet-engaging portion overlapping andattached to said body portion, said sheetengaging portion extending asubstantial distance for wardly of the body portion and being somewhatthinner and more flexible than the body portion the rear edge of thesheet-engaging portion being permanently attached to the forward edge ofthe body portion, a stop of plastic material rigidly attached at thefront edge of said body portion and extending over said sheet-engagingportion and engageable at its front end with the front wall of axerographic developing cabinet, a second stop of plastic material havingits bottom edge rigidly attached to the front edge of said bodyportionand located above and extending over said sheet-engaging portion, aright-angled plastic plate rigidly attached to the forward edge of saidlast mentioned stop and engageable with the depressable button on thefront surface of the copier cabinet, and a finger-piece rigidly securedto the underside of said body portion in proximity to its rear edge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

